Use & Efficiency

Buildings

Environmental Performance Enters Construction Materials

Peter Bonfield^a1

^a1 Building Research Establishment, UK

The environmental sustainability of materials used in construction applications is driving a requirement for the quanti-fcation of performance attributes of such materials. For example, the European Union (EU) Energy Performance in Buildings Directive will give commercial buildings an energy rating when rented or sold. The Code for Sustainable Homes launched by the U.K. Government's Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) in January 2007 sets out the requirement for all new homes to be carbonneutral by 2016. In addition, homes in the United Kingdom will need to signifcantly reduce water consumption from today's average 160 liters (1) per person per day to less than 801 per person per day. Similarly stringent targets are required for waste, materials, and other factors. Such environmental and energy standards are complementing characteristics such as strength, stiffness, durability, impact, cost, and expected life with factors such as “environmental profle,” “ecopoints” (a single unit measurement of environmental impact arising from a product throughout its lifecycle that is used in the United Kingdom), “carbon footprint” (amount of CO₂ produced for the lifecycle of the item), “recycled content,” and “chain of custody” (a legal term that refers to the ability to guarantee the identity and integrity of a specimen from collection through to reporting of test results).

Peter Bonfield can be reached at Building Research Establishment, Bucknalls Lane, Watford WD25 9XX, UK; tel. +44–1923–664200, fax +44–1923–664785, and e-mail bonfeldp@bre.co.uk.

Bonfeld is the chief executive of Building Research Establishment (BRE). A materials engineer with a PhD degree in fatigue of wood composites, his ffteen-year career in construction has focused on driving innovation and improved sustainability across all construction sectors. Most recently, Bonfeld established a fve-year contract with Marks and Spencer to help with delivery of its £200 million eco-plan. Bonfeld is currently on part-time secondment to the Olympic Delivery Authority, where he has helped create the sustainable development strategy for the Olympics. In addition, Bonfeld is a former international road racing cyclist and Ironman triathlete. He has acted as bike coach for two UK competitors in the women's triathlon in the Athens Olympics.